Melaka Islamic Religious Department ordered to investigate ‘gay-friendly’ hotel claims
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A Melaka hotel’s website allegedly lists “gay friendly” under its benefits.
PHOTO: FIRDAUS WONG WAI HUNG/FACEBOOK
MELAKA – The state government of Melaka has ordered the Melaka Islamic Religious Department (Jaim) to investigate allegations of a boutique hotel in the state with a “gay-friendly” concept, which has gone viral on social media since Jan 12.
Datuk Rahmad Mariman, a member of the state’s Education, Higher Education and Religious Affairs Executive Council, said a detailed investigation was under way to verify the information.
Commenting on the issue on Jan 13, he said: “Jaim is investigating the allegations, and we cannot make any preliminary decisions until the information is clear and evidence is obtained.”
On Jan 12, a post went viral on social media claiming the existence of a gay-friendly hotel in Melaka, sparking heated debate among netizens.
This matter was shared in a post by independent preacher Firdaus Wong, who raised questions about the trend of businesses branding themselves as “friendly”.
“The branding is quite creative. Even the label ‘Muslim-friendly’ can be turned into a business, let alone ‘gay friendly’,” he said.
“What creative ideas will emerge from this? ‘Pig-friendly’ or ‘LGBT-friendly’?”
He wrote in the post: “Besides pet-friendly malls, Malaysia also has family-friendly, child-friendly and, most recently, gay-friendly hotels in Melaka. Remember, sports are all about ‘friendly’. I never thought gays could be openly ‘friendly’, either.”
A check of the hotel’s website at 2pm showed that it was temporarily unavailable as it was under maintenance. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Additional reporting by The Straits Times
